Child labour numbers rise in homes where adults are jobless – South African study: Child labour is a big concern across the world. It is particularly acute in countries in the global south, where it is estimated that about 160 million children are engaged in child labour, about 87 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa. …
South Africa’s wattled cranes are no longer critically endangered: why the birds’ numbers are rising: Cranes are some of the world’s most majestic birds, with 15 species found globally. Four of these are found in Africa. The wattled crane in South Africa was in decline, but seems to have turned a corner. Its numbers have …
Female genital mutilation is on the rise in Africa: disturbing new trends are driving up the numbers: Thirteen-year-old Salamatu Jalloh had her whole future to look forward to. But in January 2023, her lifeless body was found wrapped in a pink and blue shroud on an earthen floor in a village in north-west Sierra Leone. …
South Africa’s 2022 census: has Johannesburg stopped growing, or are the numbers wrong?: South Africa’s census is a vital source of information for policy making, planning and research, and so the Census 2022 findings released last week were eagerly awaited. It offers many insights on everything from marriage rates to language distribution. But as urban …
Suella Braverman warns of ‘unmanageable’ numbers of asylum seekers – the data shows we hardly take any: A migration “hurricane” is coming, Suella Braverman has warned. Speaking at the Conservative party conference, the home secretary claimed that without action by the Conservatives, millions more people will come to Britain, “uncontrolled and unmanageable”. The idea that …
How linguists are unlocking the meanings of Shakespeare’s words using numbers: Rose Marinelli/Shutterstock Today it would seem odd to describe a flower with the word “bastard” – why apply a term of personal abuse to a flower? But in Shakespeare’s time, “bastard” was a technical term describing certain plants. Similarly, associating the word “bad” with …
African women lawyers: numbers are up but report sheds light on obstacles to leadership in the profession: Increases in the number of women lawyers does not equate institutional change in the legal profession. Wikimedia Commons The African continent currently leads the world in the number of women chief justices and presidents of constitutional courts. Several …
The government says migration is too high – but the latest numbers reflect a crisis of its own making in social care: Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock The UK government’s response to the latest net migration figures is that the numbers need to come down. But the UK needs migrants and the skills they bring – and employers …
Breastfeeding linked to higher GCSE results: how to understand the nuance behind the numbers – and the lack of support for parents: kryzhov/Shutterstock Recently published research has found a link between breastfeeding for longer and higher GCSE grades. We know from previous research that across a whole population, breastfeeding can help support health and development. …
Shakespeare by numbers: how mathematical breakthroughs influenced the Bard’s plays: Mathematical motifs feature in many of Shakespeare’s most memorable scenes. He lived and wrote in the late 16th century, when new mathematical concepts were transforming perceptions of the world. Part of the role of the theatre was to process the cultural implications of all these …
Cuba: why record numbers of people are leaving as the most severe economic crisis since the 1990s hits — a photo essay: Record numbers of Cubans are fleeing their country as the island suffers its worst socio-economic crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The number of Cubans seeking entry to the US, mostly …
GP numbers continue to fall but the UK isn’t unique in losing family doctors: The 2019 Conservative manifesto promised to increase the UK’s GP numbers by 6,000 by 2024. That target will clearly not be met. In fact, the proportion of GPs working full time in England has fallen compared with last year, according to …
Can an African team win the World Cup? New football study crunches the numbers: Senegal's goalkeeper Tony Sylva celebrates his side's famous win against France at the 2002 Fifa World Cup. Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images Many football lovers hope an African team will finally win the men’s 2022 Fifa World Cup. The world has been waiting …
Monkeypox case numbers are falling, but that doesn’t mean it’s going away anytime soon: Vaccinating at-risk groups is just one of the public health strategies many countries are using. Ground Picture/ Shutterstock The global outbreak of monkeypox has been going on for nearly five months now. In that time, over 60,000 people have been infected …
How a desire to help led me to track COVID numbers and make sense of them through graphs: Shutterstock As COVID took hold in South Africa, daily case numbers grew. But the numbers people were seeing online or on news channels did not tell the full story of the pandemic. Ridhwaan Suliman works as a …
Climate change triggering global collapse in insect numbers: stressed farmland shows 63% decline – new research: Speed read The world may be facing a devastating “hidden” collapse in insect species due to the twin threats of climate change and habitat loss. UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research has carried out one of the largest-ever …
Atheism in Kenya: why accurate numbers are hard to come by: Pupils in a school in Nairobi, Kenya, pray before a meal. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images The accuracy of statistics on religious affiliations in sub-Saharan Africa is questionable. This makes it difficult to assess religious trends. The issue has come to the fore recently …
Rising infections, no more free tests: how ‘living with COVID’ could affect case numbers in England: Access to free COVID tests came to an end for most people in England at the beginning of April. This includes both lateral flow tests and PCR tests. There are just a few exceptions: people with certain health conditions …